A perennial favorite, Dr. Seuss’s wonderfully wise graduation speech is the perfect send-off for children starting out in the world, be they nursery school, high school, or college grads! From soaring to high heights and seeing great sights to being left in a Lurch on a prickle-ly perch, Dr. Seuss addresses life’s ups and downs with his trademark humorous verse and illustrations, while encouraging readers to find the success that lies within. In a starred review, Booklist notes: “Seuss’s message is simple but never sappy: life may be a ‘Great Balancing Act,’ but through it all ‘There’s fun to be done.’”

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Product Description

From Amazon

Inspirational yet honest, and always rhythmically rollicking, Oh, the Places You'll Go! is a perfect sendoff for children, 1 to 100, entering any new phase of their lives. Kindergartners, graduate students, newlyweds, newly employeds--all will glean shiny pearls of wisdom about the big, bountiful future. The incomparable Dr. Seuss rejoices in the potential everyone has to fulfill their wildest dreams: "You'll be on your way up! / You'll be seeing great sights! / You'll join the high fliers / who soar to high heights." At the same time, he won't delude the starry-eyed upstart about the pitfalls of life: "You can get all hung up / in a prickle-ly perch. / And your gang will fly on. / You'll be left in a Lurch."

But fear not! Dr. Seuss, with his inimitable illustrations and exhilarating rhymes, is convinced ("98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed") that success is imminent. As long as you remember "to be dexterous and deft. And NEVER mix up your right foot with your left," things should work out. (All ages) --Emilie Coulter

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 3-- The master of enjoyable didacticism offers a flight of fancy into the future of a generic "you" who is venturing out into the world, where he will have ups and downs but will succeed and finally "MOVE MOUNTAINS!" While doting relatives will find this extended greeting card an ideal gift for nursery school graduates, the story will have less appeal for children than Seuss' story books and easy readers. Seuss' characteristic drawings carry and extend the text through mazelike streets, over colorful checkerboard landscapes, into muddy blue "slumps," through heady highs when fame results from success at the game of life, and through dark, lonely confrontations with graveyard-like fears in times of solitude. While the text gives a strong message of self-determination and potential, the small, male "you" pictured seems more of a passive passenger on his journey through life, reacting to things as they come and walking along with his eyes shut on both the first and last pages of the text. Although this does not rank among the best of Seuss' books, its stress on self-esteem and imaginative artwork make it a good addition to picture-book collections. --Louise L. Sherman, Anna C. Scott School, Leonia, NJCopyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Most helpful customer reviews

Of Seuss-an reviews this is the thirdLikely my last, mostly absurdBut I had to think of life's general directionAnd that brought me to this little reflectionThe places we goThe places we knowThe things that we showThe hearts that all glowLife is but a journey friendAnd friend with friend up till the endWe should be happy and we should be freeYou should be you and I'll just be meAnd OH, OH, the places we'll goWe'll go hither and we'll go froOver the rainbow and under a smileMaking the light year seem less than a mileMy own trek is one through theologyDetermined it feels by biologyAnd compels me upon my wonderful wayAnd never doubting it for a dayThat this is where I'm called to beThis is what I'm charged to seeBy some much grander holy lightWhich may someday give me greater sightAnd until then the faith I'll holdTo try to make the journey boldSo that everyplace will feel like homeFor everyplace is someone's homeBe it brown or be it blueIn a castle or a shoeIn the up and out the downJourneying through every townAnd still there will be more places to goStill more ways in which we can growBut may we never outgrow the SeussFor then, dear friends, life's not much useThis is a lesser-known Dr. Seuss book, but still a great story and great learning device. This is especially well suited for children who are going through a transition or change in life, to show them in a cute and memorable way that life is journey in and of itself, and that there are good things to be found when leaving the security and safety of home.An excellent text for children who may be nervous about going to school, going on a trip, or major life changes, this book is real treasure.

Every graduate should get a copy. Seuss illuminates the paths ahead in life, career starts and stops, the detours required and the optimism that in the end all will turn out fine. The excitement of success, but also the uncertainties, even the depths off despair when you are required to 'unslump' yourself - probably not strong enough when faced with depression but a step towards unslumping could be that appointment with the councillor, the chat with a friend, unslump could become unburden. It is all there. Thank you Dr Seuss!

In what has become the quintessential graduation gift, Dr. Suess removes the pollyana-ish spectacles (or rose-colored glasses, if you will) in this wonderful allegory of a great adventure. This is less "Cat in the Hat" and more Joseph Campbell's "Power of Myth" - a sort of "Lord of the Rings" for the crayon-set. Whether you see a school-aged graduate about to journey into the 'real world' or a young Soul about to embark upon a new incarnation, "Oh, the Places You'll Go!" points out the perils and pleasures of such a journey. As magical as it is real, this elegant and silly book will be to graduation gifts as "It's a Wonderful Life" is to Christmas holidays.Highly recommeded!

This book is an absolute 'must read' for everyone. I truly believe that every home should have a copy of this book :-)I once saw it billed as 'the only self-help' book you'll ever need and this is a very acurate description.Children - even the tiniest ones - will love this purely because of the wonderful rhyming verse and eye catching illustrations. Older kids and particularly adults will love it because of the wonderful uplifting message that it contains.Sure, life isn't always easy and we all take wrong turns some times but if you keep going you are bound to end up in the right place.This book should be available on prescription as an anti-depressant!

Dr. Seuss is considered to be one of America's best "children's" authors. However, I don't think the good doctor ever intended to write solely for children. Some of his books were clearly written for youngsters, but most of them, I believe, were written for everyone.Nowhere is this more apparent than in OH, THE PLACES YOU'LL GO! The book is often given as a gift to students as they graduate. But the messages the book contains aren't just for the transitional times of our lives. They are things to remember wherever we go, and whatever we do.Children can profit from reading and listening to the book being read. And sure, the book is filled with the usual zany illustrations and a few never-before-heard-of creatures, situations, and places that kids will enjoy looking at and which may possibly ignite their imagination. But make no mistake, this isn't really a children's book. Kids should be free to be kids and it is only when they are forced to grow up that locations like Lurch, Slump, and The Waiting Place become familiar places. Overall, children cannot understand and comprehend the complexities of life that are described in the book; only adults can do that. Nevertheless, like all great "children's" literature, this is a story for adults, but filled with lessons that if we remember and have ingrained within us when we are young, it will help us succeed 98 and 3/4ths of the time.

When I was a little girl, I thought Dr. Suess was Hop on Pop, Green Eggs and Ham, the Grinch, and Horton Hears a Who. I had no idea that he was so prolific, nor did I know he wrote books with political and ideological messages. So I was bowled over when I discovered this timeless classic, and then wondered why it hadn't been required reading somewhere along the line.The message - an exciting world of possibilities just waiting for you to make your mark on them, tempered with the warning that obstacles will happen - is great for kids, but probably even more poignant for adults, young and old, who are on their way and may have encountered "the waiting place" or other such snares. Couple an inspiring message with Dr. Suess' colorful rhythm and rhyme, and you have a book that is far more readable, and certainly more memorable than the corporate megalith, Who Moved My Cheese.If I had my way, this book would be required reading for every high school senior, about to enter the world (and maybe for all those corporate mice stuck in the "waiting place" looking for their cheese).